Wednesday, April 22, 2015

This week’s featured historical marker is the “ALEXANDER
TRAVIS” marker in Conecuh County, Ala. This marker is located just off Rural
Street, in front of the Conecuh Baptist Association building, near the corner
of Williams Avenue in Evergreen, Ala.

This marker was erected in 2014 by the Alabama Historical
Association. There’s text on both sides of the marker, but both sides are
identical. What follows in the complete text from the marker:

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“ALEXANDER TRAVIS: Aug. 23, 1790 – Dec. 2, 1852: In the fall
of 1817, Rev. Alexander Travis settled his affairs in South Carolina and
immigrated to Conecuh County, where, in the spring of 1818, Beulah Baptist
Church was constituted. In rapid succession, Travis’ firm resolve and his
devotion to the Gospel of Christ led to the successful constituting of other
churches in Conecuh County including Belleville, Burnt Corn, Brooklyn, Owassa
(now Olive Branch) and Evergreen, as well as others in the surrounding counties
and even in Florida.

“In 1830, he was elected Moderator of the Bethlehem Baptist
Association, a position he filled for 20 years. Rev. Travis’ ministry extended
far beyond his ability to interpret the Scriptures to multiple congregations.
His zeal for missions conclusively led to his being considered the father of
the Baptist denomination in the area where he preached and baptized and
adjudicated disputes with courage and unconditional love. Primarily known as a
spiritual leader, Rev. Travis was also an advocate for education and was the
first chairman of the Board of Trustees for Evergreen Academy.”

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What I think is interesting about this marker is that it
makes no mention of the fact that the Rev. Travis was the uncle of William
Barrett Travis, a former Conecuh County resident who died in 1836 while
commanding the ill-fated Alamo. Alexander Travis was also the brother of Mark
Travis (William’s father), and Mark Travis bought the first land sold by the
Sparta Federal Land Office when it officially opened in August 1823 (Some
sources say 1822.)

Alexander Travis passed away in 1852, and you can still
visit his grave today. He was buried in the Old Beulah Cemetery, which is south
of Evergreen. While the old Beulah Church building is long gone, Travis’
gravestone is still there, not far from where the old church once stood.

If you’d like to see the historical marker described above,
it can be found in front of the Conecuh Baptist Association building, which is
located on the corner of Rural Street and Williams Avenue in Evergreen. This
marker is one of many historical markers in Evergreen and will inform
generations to come about this early Conecuh County pioneer.

In the end, visit this site next Wednesday to learn about
another historical marker. I’m also taking suggestions from the reading
audience, so if you know of an interesting historical marker that you’d like me
to feature, let me know in the comments section below.